It took my impulse chocolate purchases at the grocery store coming in pink wrappers, but I remembered —  it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Lapis Spa at Fontainebleau Miami Beach is just one of the brands giving back this year. If you want to get pampered and do good, Lapis will donate $10 to Susan G. Komen when you spring for the $200 pink Swarovski crystal pedicure. The charity doesn’t stop there: reserve any Bleu Ocean Luxuries treatment, which starts at a casual $400… oh and they’ll donate $10 (2.5% of proceeds) to Susan G. Komen. Now I’m wondering how much money could my $1 chocolate bar really be adding to the organization’s goals?This concept of pink-ifying products more for PR than charitable contributions is called “pinkwashing” and it seems to happen like clockwork every October. Remember when KFC partnered with Komen in 2010 for the unforgettable “Buckets for the Cure” campaign, which donated 50 cents per bucket o’chicken? Or this year, when Komen partnered with Baker Hughes – a fracking and drill supply company – and created a pink drill bit? Vanilla Ice even got in on the action, hawking his merch that happens to be pink.

But hey, every little bit counts, right? If these products are so helpful for the cure, I can think of a few more:- Let’s Cure Apple($50 whenever someone mentions they have the iPhone 6)– Netflix for Breasts ($10 whenever an actress goes topless in something you’re streaming)– Pumpkin Spice Lattes for the Cure ($1; might as well combine everything about October)– BP: Breast Partners (Next time there’s an oil spill, BP will donate to Susan G. Komen)– Staples for Susan (100% of the paper in Staples should be pink and donated to Komen)– Spotify Songs about Breast Cancer (free, just for awareness)If you’d like to spend your money on four brands that do more than donate a small portion of their proceeds, these four beauty brands make significant contributions during BCA month!

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